Hellenic MoFA: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos’ welcome speech at the Hellenic Society of International Law and International Relations conference (19 December 2013)

MFA, Saturday, 21 December 2013

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My Dear Colleagues,

It is a particular honor to be invited by the Hellenic Society of International Law and International Relations (HESILIR) to open its annual Conference. Unfortunately, despite my desire to the contrary, I will not be able to stay, due to pressing parliamentary obligations.

I would like, first of all, to congratulate the Society on its significant contribution to the promotion of international law, as well as on its intensive activity through the organization of conference’s like today’s, which promote the scientific discourse in the field of international relations.

This year’s HESILIR conference comes just a few days before the opening of the 5th Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union. And this is happening at a time when Europe is struggling to overcome the economic crisis, and when the great debate is starting on what is at stake in the upcoming European elections.

Europe needs a new narrative that will return it to the embrace of the great values of European legal and political culture. A new narrative for a Europe of Democracy, rule of law, rights, cultural polyphony, social cohesion, justice, creation, innovation.

Particularly critical is the debate on the need to safeguard the European social model of rule of law and institutional equality amongst member states. That is, all the elements that, until recently, were taken for granted, but started to be shaken at the foundations during the crisis.

Because, unfortunately, the European crisis showed that the functioning of vital EU institutions and organs has deviated from the legal framework provided for in the Treaties, the framework of the institutional equality of the member states, because there are countries that decide, and there are countries pushed or coerced into accepting decisions. At the same time, other structures, not provided for in the Treaties – like the Troika – have begun to function, and they are not accountable, they are not monitored. These practices fuel Euroscepticism, clearly raising an issue of the functioning of the Union.

The Hellenic Presidency, heeding this distressing climate and wanting to contribute actively to the confrontation of the crisis and the new forms of Euroscepticism, adopted priorities that are not the product of a faceless bureaucracy, but that respond to the needs and very reasonable concerns of Europe’s citizens.

Our Presidency’s first priority responds to precisely this, setting growth in the forefront: the promotion on a pan-European level of policies that promote innovation, transport, shipping, and tourism; policies, that is, that create jobs and contribute to the safeguarding of the European social state.

Our second priority is the deepening of European and Eurozone economic governance institutions and the fortification of our common currency. The great challenge of these six months is the implementation of the banking union. Now, following yesterday’s ECOFIN decisions, the issue is the promotion of the single European deposit guarantee scheme, so that every Greek and European citizen can feel equally secure with regard to the protection of their savings.

And our third priority is protection of the common European borders, confronting illegal migration, and pursuing fair burden-sharing of responsibilities amongst the member states.

Finally, our horizontal priority, which runs through all of our other priorities, is comprehensive maritime policy, from which arise a number of initiatives: blue growth, tourism, alternative energy sources, fisheries, and the implementation in the Mediterranean of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, with the aim of capitalizing on maritime zones.

Common Security and Defence Policy is the main subject of the European Council that convened today. This brings to center stage the major issue of EU-NATO relations, Euroatlantic relations, and the international political presence and nature of the European Union more generally. The manner in which Europe expresses itself in the UN Security Council, its participation in major international initiatives regarding ongoing crises – like the crisis in Syria – its participation in pivotal negotiations, like those on Iran’s nuclear programme, are matters that have to be discussed in a more open and forthright manner within the Union. All of this has a legal aspect that concerns the force and resourcefulness of international law: Your main subject.

So I thank you for the invitation to be here, and I wish you success in the proceedings of your conference, which promotes precisely this crucial and current public debate.

 mfa.gr

21/12/13